Monday, January 5th, 2009
If you’re wondering why the Obama transition team had such stringent employment standards…
Here you go (via the Christian Science Monitor):
Richardson withdrawal jars transition
The candidate for secretary of Commerce faced pressure from a federal investigation into one of his political donors.President-elect Obama’s smooth assembly of his cabinet has hit a jarring pothole with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration as the next secretary of Commerce.
Governor Richardson announced on Jan. 4 that he would not pursue the Commerce job due to a federal investigation into how one of his political donors landed a lucrative state transportation contract.
While insisting he would ultimately be cleared in the grand jury probe, Richardson said the matter “would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process.”
Now Richardson, an affable backslapper who served seven terms in Congress, won’t be around to help lobby lawmakers for the new administration’s planned economic stimulus package.
Had it been John “Keating Five” McCain whose Commerce appointee was “under a cloud of suspicion” for a Blagojevichian “pay-for-play” scheme (never mind that Richardson likely did nothing wrong, unlike the soon-to-be-former Illinois governor), I’m sure he’d have no problem with it.
It’s how conservatives roll.
